The present invention relates to a semiconductor factory automation (hereinafter, referred to as FA) system, and, more particularly, to a semiconductor FA system and method for processing a lot of semiconductor wafers at a full-automation mode or a semi-automation mode.
Generally, a conventional semiconductor FA system includes at least one cell. The cell includes a plurality of semiconductor production bays. One of the semiconductor production bays includes process equipments, stockers and an automatic guide vehicle (hereinafter, referred to as AGV). A process equipment processes a lot of semiconductor wafers to obtain semiconductor devices. The process equipments include an etching equipment, a furnace equipment, a photo-lithography equipment, an overlay equipment and the like. A stocker temporarily stocks a semiconductor wafer cassette to be transported from a semiconductor production bay to another semiconductor production bay and the semiconductor wafer cassette processed in the process equipment. The semiconductor wafer cassette is a container capable of containing a plurality of semiconductor wafers.
Further, the conventional semiconductor FA system is employed in an operating mode, wherein the operating mode includes a semi-automation mode and a full-automation mode. Accordingly, the conventional semiconductor FA system strongly needs a scheme capable of effectively processing the lot of the semiconductor wafers at the full-automation mode or the semi-automation mode.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a semiconductor FA system and method that is capable of effectively assigning semiconductor equipments to a full-automation mode or a semi-automation mode for processing a lot of semiconductor wafers depending on the presence of a job file in each semiconductor equipment.
It is, therefore, another object of the present invention to provide a computer-readable media storing program instructions, the program instructions disposed on a computer to perform a method that is capable of effectively processing a lot of semiconductor wafers at a full-automation mode or a semi-automation mode.
In accordance with an aspect of the present invention, there is provided an apparatus for processing a lot of semiconductor wafers, wherein the lot is defined as a predetermined number of semiconductor wafers, comprising: a first semiconductor processing means operable at a first operating mode for processing the lot of the semiconductor wafers according to a job file representing data required for a semiconductor process; a second semiconductor processing means operable at a second operating mode for processing the lot of the semiconductor wafers according to the job file; a determining means for determining whether said first semiconductor processing means has the job file; and a providing means for providing the job file to said second semiconductor processing means if said first semiconductor processing means has not the job file.
In accordance with another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a semiconductor factory automation (FA) system for processing a lot of semiconductor wafers, wherein the lot is defined as a predetermined number of semiconductor wafers, comprising: a first semiconductor processing means operable at a first operating mode for processing the lot of the semiconductor wafers according to a job file representing data required for a semiconductor process; a second semiconductor processing means operable at a second operating mode for processing the lot of the semiconductor wafers according to the job file; a determining means for determining whether said first semiconductor processing means has the job file; and a providing means for providing the job file to said second semiconductor processing means if said first semiconductor processing means has not the job file.
In accordance with further another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for processing a lot of semiconductor wafers in a semiconductor factory automation (FA) system, wherein the lot is defined as a predetermined number of semiconductor wafers, comprising the steps of: a) determining whether a first process equipment operable at a first operating mode has a job file corresponding to the lot of semiconductor wafers, wherein the job file represents data required for a semiconductor process; b) if the first process equipment operable at the first operating mode has the job file, processing the lot of semiconductor wafers according to the job file in the first process equipment; c) if the first process equipment operable at the first operating mode has not the job file, providing the job file to a second process equipment operable at a second operating mode; and d) processing the lot of semiconductor wafers according to the job file in the second process equipment.
In accordance with still further another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a computer-readable media storing program instructions, the program instructions disposed on a computer to perform a method for processing a lot of semiconductor wafers in a semiconductor factory automation (FA) system, wherein the lot is defined as a predetermined number of semiconductor wafers, comprising the steps of: a) determining whether a first process equipment operable at a first operating mode has a job file corresponding to the lot of semiconductor wafers, wherein the job file represents data required for a semiconductor process; b) if the first process equipment operable at the first operating mode has the job file, processing the lot of semiconductor wafers according to the job file in the first process equipment; c) if the first process equipment operable at the first operating mode has not the job file, providing the job file to a second process equipment operable at a second operating mode; and d) processing the lot of semiconductor wafers according to the job file in the second process equipment.